"Motives?"
I tried to raise a different issue to corner him. "Why all of a sudden do you ask for my best friend out to date her?"
I saw him smirking. "Why? Are you jealous? Was my tactic effective?"
I squinted, trying to gauge if he was telling the truth, but based on his aura, he was telling it the other way around. I won't buy his lies that he asked my best friend out just for me to get jealous. I need to know the real answer. "Of course not. Why would I be? There are definitely other reasons."
"And what are those?" he sarcastically asked as he stepped closer to me. He touched some of my hair strands and smelled them. "It is because I like you, and I am using Savannah to take you. I can see that it is working."
"Sigurado ka ba sa gagawin mo?" tanong ni Savannah sa akin. We are here at the hardware store looking for something essential for my plan."Bakit? Duda ka ba?" I asked in return. I pulled her by clinging my arm to her so she could follow me to the section of the digital surveillance camera."Hindi! Napakawitty mo nga, eh! Sinong mag-aakalang maiisip mong maglagay ng 360-degree camera na may speaker para mahuli si Ismael na pumapasok sa bahay mo?" natatawa niyang pahayag na hindi maitatangging may halong paghanga sa akin."Well, that's how technology works. Akala niya ba siya lang ang high-tech para maisip na lagyan ng smart door lock ang bahay ko? Syempre, smart din ako, kaya maglalagay ako ng bagay na hindi niya aasahan."
"Loeisal Malmdan Company," I answered. Kasabay no'n ay ang pagtaas ng balahibo ko sa katawan. Sikat ang kompanyang iyon at sila ang nagmamay-ari ng pinakamahal na pabango sa buong Pilipinas. They just started a couple of years ago, but their market is getting bigger now. I wonder how their marketing supervisor works. As a business management student majoring in marketing, I am really curious how big businesses and companies are handled by their marketing associates. Kahit maganda ang products or services, kung hindi maganda ang advertising and promotion, hindi ito papatok sa masa. Dapat talaga ay marunong kang magbenta."You mean that famous perfume company? They say they wanted to conquer the world of perfume."I nodded. That's what impressed me. The mission, vision, and core values of that company are unbelievable.
I have been watching the previous footage of the CCTV, but still, there's no shadow of Ismael. Nakakabalisa din pala ang ganito. Parati kong tinitingnan ang camera habang nagbabakasakaling dumaan siyang muli sa bahay ko, pero wala siya. Wala na ba siyang dahilan para bumisita?I heaved a sigh and just focused my attention on our graduation practice. Ilang araw na ang lumipas nang ilabas na ang resulta ng exams namin. Thank God I passed it all."Wala pa rin siya?" tanong ni Sav.Tumango ako. "It seems like my idea is failing."Tinapik niya ako sa balikat. "Don't lose hope. Magpapakita rin siya sa iyo.""Paano kung hindi?"
Reality hits me. Akala ko mahirap na ang buhay estudyante, mas mahirap pala talaga ang buhay kapag nasa labas na ng paaralan. Hindi na pwedeng laruin ang buhay.Marcus University became a part of my life, and a lot of things happened in that place. Nakilala ko si Professor Sybill; lalo na si Ismael. But they are now gone. Mabuti na lang at naiwan sa akin si Savannah.But we are also separating now because we will be crossing different paths. Siya ay mag-uumpisa na ng business, samantalang ako ay sukdulan pa rin ang paghahanap sa trabaho. I already applied to Loeisal Malmdan Company, but I wasn't that confident that my curriculum vitae would lead me to the interview door, so I also submitted to the other companies. I hope one of them will be my stepping stone to my dreams.
"Hi! This is from Loeisal Malmdan Company. Is this Miss Jothea Alvandra?"I was left with no words. Napatingin pa akong muli sa phone ko para kumpirmahing may kausap nga ako. Pinunasan ko ang pisngi ko tsaka ko inayos ang sarili. "Speaking.""Great! I am inviting you tomorrow for a job interview for the position of marketing associate as you are one of the applicants who have good credentials. May I know if you can make it at nine in the morning?""Y-yes, Sir. I will be there."Habol ko ang hininga ko habang nakatingin sa sariling repleksyon. Kung kanina ay umiiyak ako dahil sa miserable kong buhay, ngayon ay nakangiti ako na parang baliw. Muli ay umiyak na naman ako, pero sa ibang kadahilanan na—makakatapak n
"It is doing what is right even without someone looking at you," simpleng sagot ko habang pinipigilan ang pagluha. Mabilis ang tibok ng puso ko at pilit na pinakakalma ang sarili, kahit na naaalala ko si Ismael. Napalingon ako kay Mr. Roize na ngayo'y nakatingin pala sa akin nang madiin. Tila ba sinusuri ang itsura ko. I tried to act straight and normal, like nothing was bugging my mind. I need to concentrate. I am in a job interview, and I don't want to fail this. This company is my dream, I should be serious. "Miss Alvandra, come with me," wika ni Sir Martin. Ngayon ko lang napansin na tapos na pala ang interview dahil wala na ang iba pang applicants. Ibig sabihin, ako lang ang nakapasa? How did it happen? Akala ko, mas nakakaangat sa akin ang mga kasama ko? "This is the second part of the screening. You may start your written exam in that room. I'm giving you thirty minutes to finish that test. After you pa
Pahiga na ako sa couch nang biglang tumunog ang laptop ko. It is a reminder. Medyo napaluha ako nang makita kong birthday ko na pala bukas. April 9. Ni hindi ko man lang naalala. Masyado akong naging abala sa paghahanap ng trabaho at pagreresolba sa mga problema ko, kaya hindi ko namalayan. I am turning twenty-one tomorrow, and still, nothing is happening in my boring life. Ni hindi man lang ako makainom o makapanigarilyo dahil wala na akong extra money para doon.I heaved a sigh as I lay down on the couch. I guess, just like the usual days, my birthday will also pass like nothing happened.Pumikit ako at maya-maya lang ay naramdaman kong tumabi sa akin si Mael. He's purring like comforting me. How I wish someone would sing for me on my birthday.Tuluyan na akong nakatulog.*****"We're all merely passing throughDoing what we can do for a lifetime
Binuksan ko ang regalo at tumambad sa akin ang magandang modelo ng isang cellphone. Alam niya bang sira na ang sa akin, kaya niya ako binigyan ng ganito? Paano niya nalaman? Narito lang ba siya sa paligid? Bakit hindi siya nagpapakita? Pinarurusahan niya ba ako?"Ismael naman, eh," bulong ko na para bang nawala na sa akin ang lahat ng pagdududa. Para bang nakalimutan ko na lahat ng ginawa niya sa akin at naiwan na lang ay ang katotohanang mahal ko pa rin siya sa kabila ng lahat. Kaunting ganito ay mapapabalik niya ako, magagawang mapaasa. Umiikot na naman ang mundo ko sa kaniya. Dahil sa ginawa niya, nagkaroon na naman ako ng lakas. Pakiramdam ko kahit nasa malayo siya at wala rito ay hindi siya nawawala.Bakit ka ganito, Ismael? What do you really want this time?Pinunasan ko ang mga luha ko kahit na patuloy pa rin sila sa pagpatak. Nilagay ko ang sim card ko sa bagong phone at sinubukang tawagan si Ismael, pero katulad ng da